maiden666fan said: Start by drawing, lots of drawing, don't touch a needle until you can get your artwork down. I own a tattoo parlor and any artist worth his ass has a passion for drawing and artwork. If you are serious, stay away from the tattoo schools, which are shit and get into a good tattoo shop and try to get an apprenticeship. It is hard and unless you are serious, you will get your ass handed to you. No tattooist wants to waste their time messing with someone that is not serious about their artwork. Get a portfolio and keep practicing and don't take no for an answer.

One of my newer artists bugged the shit out of me, hung around all that time, asked to just watch, asked all of us to look at his work. Finally, to get him to shut up, one of my artists agreed to apprentice him. He has been drawing since childhood and now tattooing for about a year. He is pretty good with the basics. Don't practice with the fake skins, because they don't move, twitch, scream, pass-out and all that shit!!!!! If you want to practice that bad, do it on yourself. I have six artists in my shop and we all have our own shit on us, the thigh is the easiest because you are looking down and it is similar to the position you are in when you are tattooing.

Finally, if you come into my shop and call them "tats" we will all kick your ass.......... Also, learn to spell and how to form a sentence.........::finger

yeah drawings about the only thing ive been good at for as long as, i can remember, and ive been thinking about it seriously for a couple years now. ill remember what you said, thanks for your help

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Skillet said:

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maiden666fan said: Start by drawing, lots of drawing, don't touch a needle until you can get your artwork down. I own a tattoo parlor and any artist worth his ass has a passion for drawing and artwork. If you are serious, stay away from the tattoo schools, which are shit and get into a good tattoo shop and try to get an apprenticeship. It is hard and unless you are serious, you will get your ass handed to you. No tattooist wants to waste their time messing with someone that is not serious about their artwork. Get a portfolio and keep practicing and don't take no for an answer.

One of my newer artists bugged the shit out of me, hung around all that time, asked to just watch, asked all of us to look at his work. Finally, to get him to shut up, one of my artists agreed to apprentice him. He has been drawing since childhood and now tattooing for about a year. He is pretty good with the basics. Don't practice with the fake skins, because they don't move, twitch, scream, pass-out and all that shit!!!!! If you want to practice that bad, do it on yourself. I have six artists in my shop and we all have our own shit on us, the thigh is the easiest because you are looking down and it is similar to the position you are in when you are tattooing.

Finally, if you come into my shop and call them "tats" we will all kick your ass.......... Also, learn to spell and how to form a sentence.........::finger

How hard is it to become a tattoo artist without any tattoos of your own? My father asked me never to get a tattoo. Out of love and respect for my father, I told him I would never get a tattoo. I figure it might be helpful for first timers to get a tattoo from a guy who isn't covered in them. "What am I getting into, am I going to be completely covered like this guy?" type of thinking.

I am good at art, I'm starting a portfolio. Working more with ink and paints now. Used to just do a lot of pencils. I do plan on getting some facial piercings. My father never asked me not to get those.

Also, whats the scheduling like for an apprentice? I kinda plan on being a tattoo artist for when I go to college. I know it'll be a poor investment. I work for 4 years, then I'm off to a career. Just wondering, will I be able to have the apprenticeship, college full time, sleep, and a life?

SadisticLeisure said: How hard is it to become a tattoo artist without any tattoos of your own? My father asked me never to get a tattoo. Out of love and respect for my father, I told him I would never get a tattoo. I figure it might be helpful for first timers to get a tattoo from a guy who isn't covered in them. "What am I getting into, am I going to be completely covered like this guy?" type of thinking.

I am good at art, I'm starting a portfolio. Working more with ink and paints now. Used to just do a lot of pencils. I do plan on getting some facial piercings. My father never asked me not to get those.

Also, whats the scheduling like for an apprentice? I kinda plan on being a tattoo artist for when I go to college. I know it'll be a poor investment. I work for 4 years, then I'm off to a career. Just wondering, will I be able to have the apprenticeship, college full time, sleep, and a life?

maiden666fan said: Finally, if you come into my shop and call them "tats" we will all kick your ass..........

Im sure thats the way it is at his place, and thats cool.Thats the respect they want, and should get.

But trust me, i`ve got a few, and i know alot of people that do, and we all call`um tats.Ive been to Randy Adams, Epic, and alot of other places and they dont have a prob with say`n tats, or ink...lol.They wont kick your ass if you dont call`um Tattoo Artists.

SadisticLeisure said: How hard is it to become a tattoo artist without any tattoos of your own? My father asked me never to get a tattoo. Out of love and respect for my father, I told him I would never get a tattoo. I figure it might be helpful for first timers to get a tattoo from a guy who isn't covered in them. "What am I getting into, am I going to be completely covered like this guy?" type of thinking.

I am good at art, I'm starting a portfolio. Working more with ink and paints now. Used to just do a lot of pencils. I do plan on getting some facial piercings. My father never asked me not to get those.

Also, whats the scheduling like for an apprentice? I kinda plan on being a tattoo artist for when I go to college. I know it'll be a poor investment. I work for 4 years, then I'm off to a career. Just wondering, will I be able to have the apprenticeship, college full time, sleep, and a life?

maiden666fan said: Finally, if you come into my shop and call them "tats" we will all kick your ass..........

Im sure thats the way it is at his place, and thats cool.Thats the respect they want, and should get.

But trust me, i`ve got a few, and i know alot of people that do, and we all call`um tats.Ive been to Randy Adams, Epic, and alot of other places and they dont have a prob with say`n tats, or ink...lol.They wont kick your ass if you dont call`um Tattoo Artists.

If you want to be an apprentice, you work whenever you can, as much as you can, listen, watch, take notes, practice drawing and listen to the artists....... Remember, 99% of all apprenticeships are non paid!!!!! At our shop, we give our apprentices the use of guns, ink and all the other shit to kind of help out and we let them use us as practice!!

I was kind of joking about the word "tats." My shop is in a college town and all these dumb asses come in and say, hey, I want to get a tat, without any idea of what to get.........

I suggest, if you are getting a tattoo, make it meaningful. I do have some that my apprentices have done that are for fun, but if it helps them improve their artistic abilities, I am all for it.

It is a rewarding career, but don't expect it to be like those TV shows, like LA Ink. You will get people that pass out, puke, freak out and all kinds of weird shit. At our shop, we do not do any facial tattoos, including inside the mouth, just out of principle. I have three artists that work strictly on appointments and three that take walk ins. I pay all of them in cash. They are all independent artists that set their hours. The point is, the more they work, the more they make.

I was kind of joking about the word "tats." My shop is in a college town and all these dumb asses come in and say, hey, I want to get a tat, without any idea of what to get.........

I suggest, if you are getting a tattoo, make it meaningful. I do have some that my apprentices have done that are for fun, but if it helps them improve their artistic abilities, I am all for it.

It is a rewarding career, but don't expect it to be like those TV shows, like LA Ink. You will get people that pass out, puke, freak out and all kinds of weird shit. At our shop, we do not do any facial tattoos, including inside the mouth, just out of principle. I have three artists that work strictly on appointments and three that take walk ins. I pay all of them in cash. They are all independent artists that set their hours. The point is, the more they work, the more they make.

Ive seen the same thing bro.They walk in with no idea as to what they want...

I respect the fact that you guys dont do faces, or the bottom lip.Some places dont care where, or what the people want...just as long as they get paid.Its good to see that some people still take pride in there work.